Interlocking bricks



Jun; 16, 1953 Cz" J'. LACY INTERLOCKING BRICKS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 26, 1950 C. J. LACY INTERLOCKING BRICKS June 16, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 26, 1950 IN VEN TOR. 697%& ES IL/707 %rras/ver,

June 16, 1953 c. J. LACY 2 ,e4,92

INTERLOCKING BRICKS Filed Aug. 26, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 16, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INTERLOCKING BRICKS Charles J. Lacy, Olivette, Mo.

Application August 26, 1950, Serial No. 181,656

My invention relates to keyinterlocked bricks for use in building walis and similar structures.

An object of'the present inventicn is to provide .bricks that will permit the rapid, comparativeiy inexpensive laying of same into a wall, or similar structure where-in adjacent bricks in each course will be key interlocked, and, Wherein adjacent bricks in an adjacent course next above will be key interlocked with the bricks next below.

A further object of the invention is to provide bricks, rectangular in shape, having like intersecting lcngtudinal and transverse grooves on the top and bottom faces thereoi, vertical end face grooves, and a vertical* side face groove which when the bricks are layed into a' wall, or similar structure adjacent bricks laid end to end, end to side, and side by side may be interlocked by a T- shaped key, the leg ofthe key interlocking adjacent bricks in each course, and the cross-head of the key interlocking adjacent bricks in the adjacent course next above in break joint relation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will be apparent during 'the course of the fo11owing description. V

In the drawings forming a part of this application:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the corner brick of the brickwork of Figs. 6, 7 and S.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the intermediate brick adapted to be postioned in a structure between corner bricks.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View of the corne' brick taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectionai View of the intermediate brick taken on line of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the T-shaped key for interlocking adjacent brick, both horizcntally and vertically.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of one course of brickwork showing the vertical key leg receiving openings between adjacent bricks at the corner of a wall structure.

Fig. '7 is a perspective View of the brickwork shown in Fig. 6, illustrating the keys 'for interlooking the .bricks.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of a plurality of Courses of the brickwork showing adjacent bricks in interlocked relation.

Fig. 9 is a perspective View oi several courses of the corner brickwork of the present inventicn.

10 iliustrates adjacent bricks interlocked 3 Claims. (Ci. 72-38) ally, a corner brick, the numeral !2 designates,

generally, a brick to be laid between corner bricks, and the reference numeral !3 designates, genere ally, a T-shaped brick aligning key for interconnecting adjacent bricks in a course, and adjacent bricks in adjacent Courses.

The intermediate brick [2, as shown, includes a rectangular body having 'horizontal straight walled intersecting Iongitudinal and transverse key-way grooves designated l i'and 15, respectively, on opposite faces of the brick, that is, the upper and lower faces thereof. The body also includes corresponding straight walled Vertical key-way grooves IE on the end faces of the brick which communicate with the ends of the longitudinal grooves M. The body also includes a corresponding straight walled vertical key-way groove ll on one of the side faces of the brick which communicates with cne end of the transverse grooves !5. One end of each of the transverse grooves is closed, as at !8, to provide a blind end for each transverse groove.

The corner brick H as shown, is identical in size and shape as the brick 52, except that one end.

of each of the longitudinal grc-oves is closed, as at !9, to provide a blind end for each longitudinal groove. Thus, the corner brick H is provided with the intersecting longitudinal and transverse grooves designated l l and !5, respectively, on opp-osite faces of thebrick, the vertical side face groove ll, but is only provided with one Vertical end face groove I 5.

The key !3, as shown in Fig. 5, is T-shaped in formation providing thereby a leg 2!! and a crosshead 2l. The key may be made from any suitable material, preferably metal, although not necessarily so. The key na is of such thickness as to correspond to and engage mating grooves on the several faces of adjacent bricks, dependent upon whether the bricks are laid end to end, end to side such as the adjacent corner bricks, or side by side, if desired to do so. They key 13 projects beyond the edges of the grooves of one brick and engages corresponding mating grooves on an adjacent brick, thereby preventng the shiiting of the bricks relative to each other.

As shown in Fig. 6, when adjacent intermediate bricks !2 are laid end to end, in a course, a vertical opening 22 is formed at the joint between adjacert bricks by the mating vertical end face grooves !6, and When adjacent bricks are laid end to side, in a course, a Vertical opening 22 is formed at the joint ;between the adjacent bricks by the mating of an end face groove !6 with a side face groove H into which opening 22 is fitted the !eg 26 of the key 63.

The lower half of the two projections of the cross-head 2! of the key engages the longitudinal grooves M when adjacent bricks are laid end to end, and engages a longitudinal groove i and a transverse groove l when adjacent bricks are laicl end to side. The upper half of the head 21 engages in corresponding mating grooves on the bottom faces of the bricks in the course next above, as shown in Fg. 8.

This arrangement of interlocking adjacent bricks and interlocking bricks in adjacent Courses, is simple, quick, highly efficient and results in a straight wall from corner to corner, with no danger of bricks shifting one relative to the other. A thin coating of mortar may be used between adjacent bricks, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 8. The groove spaces not interrupted by the heads of the key 13 provide a multiplicity of dead air pockets in a wall structure.

In Fig. 7, there is illustrated, in perspective, the bricks shown in Fig. 6, but showing adjacent bricks interlocked by means of keys 43.

Fig. 9 clearly shows, in perspective, three courses of a corner brickwork in a wall structure showing adjacent bricks as interlocked by the keys [3.

From the drawings, and the foregoing description, it will be clearly apparent adjacent bricks in each course of brickwork may be interlocked end to end, side to end, and side by side, as well as face to face in adj acent Courses.

The many advantages of the herein described invention will readily suggest themselves to these skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the `present embodiments are illustrative and. not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

What I claim is:

1. A two-thickness interlocked wall of building V bricks that comprises a pluralty of elongated, rectangular bricks in superposed Courses, with two parallel, longtudinal rows of bricks forming each course, each brick having longitudinally ex,- tending grooves in the top and bottom thereof, said grooves having parallel faces similarly spaced, and being located at the transverse center of said brick, end grooves of the sam width as the longitudinally extending grooves in each u Number '4 end of said brick in alignment with said longitudinally-extending grooves and communicating therewith, transversely-extending grooves in the top and bottom of said brick, said transverse grooves having parailel faces spaced apart a distance similar to the width of the longitudinal grooves, and being spaced from one end of each brick a distance equal to one-half the Width of said brick and being joined by a side groove in one side face of said brick, of a width similar to the width of the transverse groove and in alignment therewith, and aligning elements for aligning said bricks both vertically and horizontally, one aligning element spanning a pair of superimposed rows of two adjacent Courses, a portion of said element being seated in the longitudinal grooves of the bricks of said two rows and extending into the end grooves of adjacent bricks of one of said two rows, and a second aligning element extending transversely of the wall and having a portion seated in said transverse grooves of the bricks of said pair of rows and in the.

transverse grooves of the adjacent pair of rows of said two adjacent Courses, said second aligning element having another portion extending into the side grooves of adjacent bricks of the parallel rows in one course of said two adjacent Courses.

2. A wall as claimed in claim 1, in which the transverse grooves in the brick extencl inwardly from one side face thereof, but terminate short of the opposite side face thereof.

3. A wall as claimed in claim 1, in which the transverse grooves in the brick extend inwardly from one side ;face thereof, but terminate short of the opposite side face thereof, and in which certain of said bricks have the longitudinal grooves extending inwardly from one end of the brick, but terminating short of the opposite end thereof.

CHARLES J. LACY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 716,865 Choquet et al Dec. 30, 1902 '722,249 Pixley Mar. 10, 1903 1295919 Muhlhausen Mar. 4, 1919 2,172,816 Douglas et al Sept. 12, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date &42,223 Great Britain of 1936 

